Preschool Music Activities at Home are very interesting activities. Music is a big part of preschool life. It can be fun and exciting for children, but when you’re at home all day, it may be hard to find ways to incorporate music into your preschooler’s day, especially if you don’t have any musical talent yourself.
Music also improves motor skills, so it’s no wonder that children are naturally inclined to dance and make music. Studies have shown that preschool music activities help children memorize basic math facts, use their imaginations, develop social skills, learn language skills, improve eye-hand coordination, build self-esteem and self-discipline, increase vocabulary, and get along better with others. In addition to all these benefits, music is fun.
Here are some simple music activities that can be done at home with your child.
Dancing in the Living Room
Dancing is a great way to get kids moving while listening to music. Make sure there is plenty of room around the furniture in case they have to move it out of the way so they have room to dance. Put on a song they like, maybe one they sing in preschool or another favorite song – and see what kind of moves they come up with. If you want to join in and dance with them, feel free! The sillier the better!
Musical Instruments
If you have some musical instruments lying around the house, pull them out for your preschooler to play with. You can also use items from around the house as “instruments” – pots and pans can become drums, spoons and wooden blocks can become rhythm sticks, empty boxes can be turned into drums, etc.
Make a homemade shaker: Get out a small, plastic water bottle and fill it with dry beans, rice or other small items. Put the lid on tightly and shake! You can even draw or glue on eyes, noses and mouths to create a character.
Sing songs: Children love to sing along to music they hear on TV, radio or streaming services like Spotify Kids and Apple Music for Kids & Family. If your family has a favorite song, try singing it together.You can also find online videos of children’s songs and sing along to those. Singing songs is a great activity for a preschooler. Not only does it teach them about rhythm and beat, it can also help them learn words and remember important information. Try singing songs from nursery rhymes, like “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” or “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” You can also sing the alphabet song and the days of the week song.
Play instruments together: To make an easy instrument at home, take two pieces of paper (one large piece and one smaller piece) and put the smaller piece inside the larger one so that it looks like a sandwich with two pieces of bread and one filling “slice.” Take each end of the paper sandwich and curl the edges toward each other until they meet.
Glow stick drumming: What do glow sticks, balloons and buckets have in common? They all make great musical instruments! Have children take turns drumming on their balloon drums or buckets, or even use glow sticks as drumsticks (and play some music in the dark!)
Freeze dance: This fun game is perfect for preschoolers who just started learning about music. Play music from different genres and encourage kids to dance along to the beat. When the music stops, they freeze! It’s a fun way to introduce new genres of music and celebrate movement.
Prop dancing: This activity combines physical activity with creative thinking skills! Give children different props like scarves, hula hoops or ribbons, then encourage them to come up with dances.
Instruments
While it may not be feasible for every family to buy their child instruments, there are ways you can use household items as pretend instruments. Try using spoons as drumsticks and pots or pans as drums (the bigger the pot or pan, the better). A rice shaker is another great tool you can use to make music with your child!
Movement
Movement helps with coordination and balance. While dancing may not be something that every child enjoys, most will enjoy moving around in different ways. You can try hopping like a bunny or stomping like an elephant. You could even hold hands.
Musical paintings: Give your child a few sheets of paper, some paintbrushes and a range of different colored paints, and let them get creative on their canvas! Instrument matching. Play ‘name that tune’ Put on a talent show.
Instrument matching: You probably have many different instruments lying around at home that your child can use for this activity. If you don’t, you can easily make them with recycled items such as tissue boxes and pots and pans. Ask your child to match the sound with the matching instrument or vice versa.
Play ‘name that tune: How many notes do they need to hear before they know what song it is? Don’t make it too easy.
Put on a talent show: Tell your children to come up with a dance routine or sing along to their favourite song, then put on a show for you! It’s a great way to see how much they’ve learnt about music as well as practice their performance skills.